Apparatus and process of treating hydrocarbon oils



Dec. 24, 1929. c. J. GREENSTREET 1,740,691

APPARATUS AND PROCESS OF TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS Original Filed Aug. 4. 1917 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 H m: "W"? UVVENTQR ATTORNEY! c. J. GREENSTREET 1,740,691

APPARATUS AND FROCESS OF TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS Original Filed Aug. 4, 1917 3 Sheets-Sheei 2 INVENTOI? W H w ATT RIVEYJ Dec. 24, 1929.

Dec. 24, 1929. c, J, s -r 1,740,691

APPARATUS AND PROCESS OF TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS Qri inal Filed Aug. 4, 1917 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 w eMto c 4% M @513 ahtozwm /q Patented Dec. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES rA ENr OFFICE CHARLES J'. GREENSTREET, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGI IOB TO GASOLINE CORPORA- TION, A CORPORATION OF PELAWABE .APFARATUS AND PROCESS OF TREATING EYDROC ABIBON OILS Application filed August 4, 1927, Serial No. 184,879. Renewed March 13, 1929.

My invention relates to the treatment ofhydrocarbon oils and particularly to the process and apparatus therefor.

One of'the objects of my invention is to reduce thecost of operation of processes for cracking hydrocarbon oils, and is especially useful in reducing the fuel consumption and increasing the percentage of light hydrocarbons recovered with a minimum amount of labor.

One way of accomplishing this result is by heat insulating the passage from the furnace to the exit.

The following description of the process and apparatus taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof,'will more fully convey my invention and the manner in which the same is operated.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation ofthe furnace showing the connection of the vapor lines.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the connection of pipes as given in the other figures of the drawings.

In the drawings, the apparatus comprises a furnace 1, in which are located a plurality of cracking units 2. The furnace may be of any suitable construction and may be heated by coal or other fuel as desired, the furnace forming no part of the present invention. The cracking units placed in the furnace are so arranged that the passage is a continuous, unobstructed one, preferably consisting of a series of straight pipes of suitable diameter joined together by semicircular end connections 3. I

The equipment shown in the accompanying drawings comprises six units, each unit comprising a cracking coil 4. 5, 6, 7, 8 or. 9, to which is connected a preheater 10. length of this preheater is such that the oil under treatment is brought to the vaporizing point just as it enters the cracking pipe.

Each preheater is connected to a suitable storage tank 11 from which the supply istaken. In each pipe-line from the storage tankis a steam pump 12 and a meter 13 as well as suitable valves for controlling the supply. Connected with each cracking unit The is a steam pipe 14, which pipe is so arranged that the steam, before entering the cracking unlt, is super-heated. This steam pipe also has suitable valve connections for controlling the flow of steam.

There is provided in the furnace a series of crude oil or distillate topping coils 15, one for each cracking unit. These coils are shorter in length than the cracking coils and the contents are therefore subjected to the heat of the furnace a comparatively shorter time than the contents of the cracking coils. It is the purpose of these toppingcoils to heat the ed by some suitable compound 23 in any well known manner. All the digester tanks 22 are connected by a suitaable pipe with a series of other digester tanks 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31. In each case the pipes connecting the tanks are heat insulated as well as all the digester tanks. The top of each of the digester tanks 24 to 31 is connected to a lower portion of each succeeding tank by connections 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38, and the top of the last digester tank is connected to condenser coils 39, which condenser coils are cooled in any suitable manner. product leaves the apparatus through the pipe 40 in the form of benzine, which is conducted to a suitable storage tank 11-B.

Connected to the bottom of all of the digester tanks 22 is a header 41 into which the heavier products settle or condense, and

The final which are not re-run through the furnace.

coil which is suitably cooled, and this condensed product, which may be termed an intermediate product is conducted to a suitable storage tank, from which it is rerun through the cracking coils.

Located within the last digester tank 31 is a cooling coil 44 having an inlet 45 and 4 an exit 46. Through this pipe, water or other which in turn is connected with the first of the series of digester tanks 24 to 31. Eachof the connections from the digester tanks to the header 48 is provided with a valve 49. These valves are for cutting out a cracking unit in case of accident.

While I have shown the apparatus arranged so that there is only one series of digester tanks, I wish it to be understood that my invention contemplates the use of a series of tanks for each cracking unit, in which event each digester tank 22 would connect directly with its own series of digester tanks. In the header 48 opposite the'connection to thedigester tanks isa plug 51 for steam con- .nection, which would permit the application of a steam pipe at this point for the purpose of blowing steam through the digester tanks for the removal-of impurities. Each end of the header 48- is provided with a steam plug Eachof the vapor lines leading from the cracking coil to the digester tanks 22 is provided w1th a pyrometer 53. The header leading to the digester tanks 24 to 31 is provided with a suitable draw-01f valve 50.

It is understood'that all of the connections from the furnace to the very end of tlle series of digester tanks are thoroughly heat insulated, so that the heat given to the oil :in the furnace is conserved and kept within the piping s stem with as little loss as possible. It is un erstood further that because of the relative difference-in cross-sectional capacity between the digester tanks and the cracking and tapping pipes the vapors will move more rapidly through the pipes than through the digestem, and since the process is carried out under pressure, the vapor may move with considerable rapidity in the tubes, the speed being under control by the valves in the pipe line. It is obvious also that since the digester tanks have a materially greater diameter than the coils and pipe connections, they serve as Theoperation of the apparatus is as follows:

' The crude oil is first run from the tank 11 through the topping coils and during its course through these coils 15 which are located in the furnace is heated .to at least a point above the vaporizing point of the benzine fraction. These vapors are then conducted through the Vapor lines 15 to the digester tanks '22 and from these tanks into the header 48 and thence successively through the series of digester tanks 24.3l. During the above defined course, the tars or asphaltssettle out in the digester tanks 22-and the vapors continue on down through the series of tanks 2431, a portion, comprising in each case the heavier ends, of the vapors from each tank being condensed in, and collecting in, the next succeeding tank. The last tank contains only benzine vapors, which are thence led to the tank 11. The condensed products which are led into the header 42 are then conducted through pipe 42 to the distillate storage tank 11. The oil is conducted from the storage tank 11 into the preheater coils l0 and is vaporized approximately upon leaving the preheater. It is then conducted in vapor form and accompanied by steam through the cracking coils 2 where it is heated to a high temperature under pressure. Usually, in starting the apparatus, steam is blown through for some suitable. length of time before the oil is admitted to the cracking coil. From the cracking coil, the vapors are. conducted to the digester tanks 22, and from these tanks they are conducted through a passage of comparatively small diameter into the first of the series of digester tanks, 2431, and from this point, the vapors pass successively from tank to tank as above explained.

- By the use .of the. process as above de scribed, the heavier fractions, which are not transformed into lighter fractions in the cracking coil, due to the rapid velocity of the contents through the cracking coils, are converted into lighter fractions during the course which they are conducted, the fuel consumption for heating the oil under treatment is greatly reduced and due to the prolonged exposure of the particles to a high temperature while under pressure, the unusually large conversion above mentioned is accomplished.

The topping coils can also be used as cracking coils by running an excess of super-heated steam through the topping coils and running the distillate more slowly through the. topping coils, in which event a substantial increase in percentage of benzine would result.

In practice, I have ,found that when, as shown, about eight tanks are used the last three or four tanks would act in the capacity of a fire still, the heat in the tanks being higher than the volatilizing point of the henzine causes a distillation from these tanks over to the last tank, so that the distillates separating out in the last three or four tanks contain no benzine and should the last tank contain too much of the heavy ends, due to the benzine carrying over mechanically some of the heavy ends distilling, the cooling coil in the last tank serves to precipitate out the heavy ends, and the benzine vapors pass into a condenser coil and thence to a run-down tank ready for further treatment in the usual 'manner of handling benzinc.

While I have described the apparatus and process in more or less detail, I desire to have it understood thatI am not limited to the exact arrangement shown. For instance, while the digester tanks, 24 31 have been shown in a plane above the digester tanks 22, all of these tanks may be located on the same level, and various other changes of similar character mav be made without in the least departing irom the spirit 0t my invention.

While the apparatus above described, shows no application of external heat, other than in the furnace, it is to be understood that I may, nevertheless, add some heat to the piping system at suitable points, if desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The process of treating hydrocarbon oil which consists in subjecting the oil in a vaporized state, in a plurality of conduits to a temperature sufiicient to crack the oil, conducting the oil from each coil to separate expansion chambers, and thereafter conducting the vapor from each expansion chamber to a single digester chamber.

2. The process of treating hydrocarbon oils which consists in passing oil through coils to vaporize the oil, passing the oil vapors into tanks containing hot cracked. vapors, and passing the resulting mixture through successive heat insulated tanks in which the heavier portions are condensed and separated, passing the separated condensed portions through coils under pressure and raising said condensed oils to a.cracking temperature, passing the resulting cracked vapors into said tanks and mixing them therein with said vaporized oils. i

3. The process of treating hydrocarbon oil which consists in subjectingthe oil in a vapor state, in a plurality of conduits to a temperature sufficient to crack the oil, conducting the oil vapor from each of said conduits to a separate digestion tank, and thence to a plurality of tanks connected in series, the concentration of the oil vapor in the series of tanks being greater than that in the separate digestion tanks, all of said tanks being heat insulated to conserve the heat energy of the oil vapor and permit additional cracking thereof.

4. The process of treating hydrocarbon oil which consists in subjecting the oil in a vapor state, in a plurality of conduits to a tempera ture sufficient to crack the oil, conducting the oil vapor from each of said conduits to a separate digestion tank and thence to a plurahty of tanks connected in series, the concentration of the oil vapor in the latter tanks being greater than that in the separate digestion tanks, all of said tanks being heat insulated to conserve the heat energy of the oil vapor and permit the additional cracking thereof and repeatedly passing the heavier condensedportions of the oil vapors through the circuit, including the conduits and tanks.

5. In an apfparatus for treating oil, the combination 0 a plurality of cracking pipes in parallel, means for heating said pipes, a plurality of heat insulated expansion chambers oneconnected wit-h each cracking pipe,

valve controlling the pressure inall of said chambers and means for withdrawing liquid from said chambers.

6. The process of cracking hydrocarbon oils, which comprises passing hydrocarbon oil through a heating zone and then into a chamber containing hot cracked vapors, separating the resulting vapor mixture from unvaporized residue, withdrawing unvaporized residue from the system and conducting the vapor mixture into a vapor-separating zone in which the higher boiling portions of the vapors are condensed and separated, passing the resulting condensate throu h a second heating zone under pressure and vaporizing and heating the same to a crackin temperature, and passing the resulting cracked vapors into said chamber wherein the with the constituents of said ii 01 7. The process of cracking hydrocarbon oils in thevapor phase which comprises bringing preheated topped crude oil into intimate contact with the hot oil vapors resulting from the vapor phase cracking of a hydrocarbon oil, separating vapors from unvaporized residue .oil, withdrawing said ydrocarbon 'residue andpassing the resulting separated are mixed.

a vapor phase cracking zone in which the condensate is vaporized and cracked by heat in vapor phase to produce at least in part said hot. oil vapors, and passing the resulting hot cracked vapors into contact with saidpreheated topped crude oil.

8. The process of cracking hydrocarbon m vapors are condensed and separated, v oriz- 35 ing them with the heated constituents of said ing resulting condensate and heatin the vapors to a cracking temperature in a second zone maintained at a temperature adapted to crack the condensate vapors, and passing 15 the resulting cracked vapors while at a high temperature into said chamber wherein they are contacted with said preheated hydrocarbon oil. p

9. The combined process of topping crude petroleum and cracking a distillate thereof, which comprises heating crude petroleum to a temperature sufiicient to vaporize portions of its lower boiling constituents, thereafter mixing the vaporized and unvaporized con- 25 stituents of the crude petroleum with hot cracked oil vapors in a contact zone, separating the resulting vapor mixture from residue oil in said contact zone, conducting the separated vapor mixture into a vapor condens- 30 ing zone in which portions of the higher boiling point constituents are condensed and separated, separately heating and cracking the condensate from said condensing zone to produce said hot cracked oil vapors, and mixcrude petroleum.

In. testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification. 1

CHARLES J. GREENSTREET.

. p ctnmlcareor CORRECTION. I

Patent No. l, 740, 691. I Granted December 24,1929, to

' caaatrsfi. casensramzr.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent reqniringcorrection as follows: In the heading tothe printed specifieation line 5, date of filing application should read "August 4, 1917", instead of "Amt 4, 1927"; and that the said Letters Patentshould be read'with this correction therein thatthe same may confcnn to the record of the case in the Patent Office. i

Signed and sealed this 24th day of June, A. 1930.

a M. J. Moore}. (Seal) v Acting Cmissione'r of Patents.

CERTIFICATE 9F GGRRECTION.

Patent No. 1,740,691. Granted December 24, 1929, to

CHARLES J. GREENSTREE'I.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction as fellows: In the heading to the printed specification, line 5, date of filing application should read "August 4, 1917", instead of "August 4, 1927"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the recerd of the case in the Patent ()ttice.

Signed and sealed this 24th day of June, A. D. 1930.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

